


Cherry Wine

by Persipnei



Series: Preludes and Nocturnes [2]
Category: The Pacific (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood Drinking, M/M, Snafu acts like a baby in this one but he is dying, Vampire!Snafu, i really don't know how to tag this story. it's /that/ bad., so i guess we can forgive him, vampire hunter!Eugene, vampire!Ack Ack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 10:51:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17786015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persipnei/pseuds/Persipnei
Summary: Merriell truly thought he was going to fucking die. And this time for real. They travelled during the night and slept during the day. Sledge chose where they would stay and made sure that they would never have to share the bedroom. Merriell was starving and his body felt heavy and at some moments, like he was petrified. He was so fucking hungry that he even started to look at the poor dog in a different light.He couldn't attack Sledge. He would lose the trust Merriell was trying so hard to earn. But he was fucking ravenous and Sledge was right there, in front of him, in the very same carriage and he was losing his mind. He wanted to bite his neck, wrists and thighs.ORIt's even worse than the first part, hey.





	Cherry Wine

**Author's Note:**

> Mhmm... Well. I wanted an excuse to write about Ack Ack being everybody's dad, I guess. The title is bad. The writing is bad. And everything is terrible and a cliché, but WHATEVER.
> 
> By the way, I copied the different kind of vampires from the videogame Vampyr, because I didn't want to think and I wanted to mix that with the lore of werewolves from Louisiana. 
> 
> Also! The name of this series? Thanks, Neil Gaiman.

**MOBILE, LATE 1800s**

“You, being dead, is not enough of a excuse for you to smell like _that_.” Sledge told him as soon as they arrived to his estate. Of course he was rich. You only have to pay attention to the way he spoke and carried himself. Now, Merriell didn't know much about princes, but he assumed that they had to walk and breathe like Sledge did. While he tried to make him uncomfortable and just be mean to him because he enjoyed the kiss (only reason, not because he was worried about his friend or he had been raised to kill his kind, _obviously_!), Merriell tried to make things work in his favor.

Like telling him that he could only enter inside of his house if it was him the one who invited him in. By holding his hand. The second part was a lie, but Merriell stood still in front of the door and didn't move until Sledge grabbed his hand and pulled him inside, huffing.

“You are going to take a bath _right now_.” he informed him. Merriell hummed and followed him, looking around and noticing that while the house was big (a mansion), it was empty. He didn't release Sledge's hand as they headed upstairs. He only let him go when he pushed him away while he tried to get his bath ready.

“You should join me.” Merriell was still doing his best to borrow some of his warmth. “It would help you _relax_.”

Sledge made sure to keep the distance between them by poking him on his ribs with his elbow: “Deacon will keep you company.” If you thought that Sledge was not exactly intimidating for being a vampire hunter (no matter if he was a walking temptation for any sort of leech), then his dog was even _less_ intimdiating. Rather small, with floopy ears. _He never failed to protect me_ , Sledge said stiffly when Merriell dared to question the dog's ferocity.

The dog barked, rather happy, behaving unlike Merriell.

“Dunno, Sledge, he's not very talkative.” he insisted a little bit.

Sledge was not having it and he ended up alone in that tub with _boiling_ water. Merriell told him that you really can't warm a vampire from the outside. But whatever. Either fire, sunlight, silver or Holy Water, you can't burn a vampire in any other way.

Turns out that Sledge was not so easy to charm. He liked him even _more_.

Back when he was alive, Merriell never grew fond of anyone. Sex was a pleasure that didn't have to last more than a couple of hours. He liked to seduce and he liked to play. But he never met anyone like Eugene. And he was pretty sure it went beyond that virgin blood of his. He was strict and scolded him every single time he cursed. His hair was red and he frowned each time he spoke. He was beautiful and Merriell was in love.

They've been together (he loved to say that, it sounded far more _intimate_ than it truly was) for five days, now. Technically, Merriell was his _prisoner_. He was only there because he wanted to make sure that he didn't lie to him when he told him that his friend Sid was probably the Leckies' new pet.

Merriell opened his eyes under the water and relaxed his body, that was growing colder and colder. It would get harder to move, his muscles will weight like marble and his bones will become butter if he doesn't drink a little bit of blood soon. He tried to warn the vampire hunter, but Sledge huffed and took it as him trying to make a move and get closer to his neck. He wouldn't kill him! Or hurt him! Take a little sip and that would be all!

Okay, maybe try to kiss him after that, but _hey_! That's about it.

He spent ten, fifteen or maybe even twenty minutes under the water. He didn't need to breathe, he could stay there for _centuries_ , if he wanted to. But the muffled barking made him open his eyes, seeing Deacon not quite daring to join him, but clearly worried that he might be in danger. Ah, he surely needs to get used to dead people.

Merriell grinned, childish and mean, and emerged abrutply scaring the dog and making the animal bounce back and bark louder, like telling him: _how dare you, ungrateful human?_

He chuckled and shook his head: “Dummy.”

The vampire rested his chin over the porcelain and continued to look at Deacon, who didn't trust him anymore. “C'mere.” he extended one of his hands towards him, letting the water drip from his fingers to the floor. “C'mere, let's be friends.”

But before the dog could even consider to make amends with Merriell, the door burst open. Sledge walked inside with his sleeves rolled up all the way to the elbow and his hands wet. He seemed to be ready to kick his ass and Merriell sighed with a smile.

“What have you done?” he quickly crouched, checking that Deacon was fine.

“We were only playin'. Promise.” he hummed.

“You scared him!”

“He's very easy to scare, anyway!”

Sledge sent him another of those firm and displeaced glances of his as he patted the dog's head, gently. Then he approached the tub and Merriell did not bother himself by covering what should not be so easily exposed. Eugene looked down at him, at his face. Merriell could tell that he was trying hard to look unbothered, but his blood was running quick. He could hear it. Sledge was ashamed because he was there, naked. He's so sweet and so clueless.

“Next time you scare him, you'll bathe in Holy Water.”

“Cleansin', huh?”

Sledge didn't appreciate his joke. But he had been threatening with Holy Water and silver three times a day ever since that glorious moment when Merriell decided to follow some redhead all over the streets of Louisiana. When Sledge put his hands on his hips, Merriell decided to test his luck. He grabbed him by his waist and pushed him inside the tub with him. Deacon barked and Merriell laughed while Sledge didn't even manage to say something about it, unable to to believe he was truly _that_ infuriating.

He wrapped his arms around the boy's waist and buried his face on his neck, grinning. Of course Sledge didn't trust you enough to simply believe he wouldn't bite him. So he leaned back quickly, splashing some water as Deacon put his paws on the tub but not wanting to join in. _Water? No, thanks._

Sledge even put his hand on Merriell's face to push him away. He chuckled, trying to bite his fingers before he pulled his hand away and gasped: “You are _frozen_.”

“Told ya. Your warm bath did nothin' for me.” he leered and used Sledge's confusion against him, brushing his nose against his neck (minding the silver necklace he was still wearing), feeling his pulse and smelling his blood. _Fucking sweet_.

With his legs hanging over the porcelain, Sledge was the vampire's plaything. His hands were moist and slippery and they smelled good, too. Very clean. Very... Merriell took one of his wrists and sniffed. Then he turned his head and noticed that the pile of dirty clothes had been replaced by neatly folded ones over a chair. He must have failed to smell him while pretending to be dead under the water when he changed them.

“You _washed_ my clothes?” he blinked.

“Oh, I've had enough!” Sledge's blood burned even warmer and his heart made it dance through his veins. Merriell smiled like an idiot when Sledge pushed himself up and off the tub.

*** * ***

“You said Ack Ack was not after Sid!” Eugene complained right after dusk. They were already in his carriage. Deacon was resting his little head on Eugene's lap, ignoring his owner's bad mood. “We should go straight to Philadelphia!”

“If we go straight to Philly we gonna get in trouble, Sledge.” Merriell tried to be _reasonable_. Or at least not get himself in a big big trouble. Vampires have rules. Hierarchy. Shit like that. Sledge was supposed to _know_. “There are things I can't do without my maker's _approval_.”

He frowned: “Ack Ack is your maker?”

“He sure is.” Merriell shrugged. “My Mamaw wouldn't let me die, so she told him that he either turned me or she'd capture his dead soul forever.”

“Aren't you angry she decided that for you?” he sounded curious.

“What was I supposed to do? My heart wasn't workin' and I sure wanted to live.” Merriell shrugged.

“And she made him... what? Come all the way from...” he trailed off.

“ _Memphis_.”

“From Memphis? To New Orleans?” He seemed impressed that a powerful vampire would feel intimidated by an old woman. Eugene failed to see that the power of Madame Mercier was feared all over the country.

“She sure did.” he grinned, absolutely proud of her.

“Why? New Orleans is _infested_ by vampires.” Sledge insisted.

“Most of the vampires in New Orleans are Vulkods.”

“Huh?”

“ _Rougarou?_ ”

Sledge frowned and continued to look at him.

“You should know these things, Sledge.” he sighed, secretly loving that he could show off. “Beastly vampires.” he ignored the _all vampires are beastly_ from Sledge. “Very similar to werewolves. You get turned by a Vulkod or a Skal, and you better say bye-bye to your humanity.”

“Vampires don't have humanity.”

“ _Bullshit_.” Merriell grumbled, feeling far colder than this morning. He wrapped himself tightly with the jacket Sledge gave him. “You can't think or talk. Your brain is dead and you can't control yourself. But you keep all that if your maker is an Ekon.”

That finally rang a bell: “An ancient vampire.”

“Yeah.” Merriell nodded and continue. “And, y'know. Your maker is somethin' like your _captain_. You don't want a piece of garbage as your maker. Ack Ack is like...” he licked his lips and mumbled: “ _Decent_.”

Sledge didn't look very convinced. He played with one of Deacon's ears, tenderly, before he raised one of his eyebrows: “What are you, then?”

“Huh?”

“You are not a Vulkod. Or a Skal. Sure you can't be an Ekon when you were turned...?”

Merriell shifted while the carriage kept rocking him from side to side: “Seven years ago.”

Sledge snorted and rubbed his nose, like that could hide his amusement. Vampires are always pictured as very old and very classy. Merriell was _neither_.

“I _will_ be an Ekon.” he said, defensively.

“So, by now you are a _baby._ ” Sledge snickered.

Merriell would have _blushed_ if he wasn't so fucking cold.

**MEMPHIS, LATE 1800s**

Merriell truly thought he was going to fucking die. And this time _for real_. They travelled during the night and slept during the day. Sledge chose where they would stay and made sure that they would never have to share the bedroom. Merriell was starving and his body felt heavy and at some moments, like he was petrified. He was so fucking hungry that he even started to look at the poor dog in a different light.

He couldn't attack Sledge. He would lose the trust Merriell was trying so hard to earn. But he was fucking ravenous and Sledge was right there, in front of him, in the very same carriage and he was losing his mind. He wanted to bite his neck, wrists and thighs. He wanted to leave him dry and then see him beg for Merriell to share his blood so he would become a vampire as well. Merriell wanted to be warm again and at this point it was either drinking Sledge's blood or dying.

Dying it is because each time he slept even more and didn't even have energy to talk; to insist and try to find out if Sid Phillips was, actually, more than Sledge's friend. And perhaps the vampire hunter noticed that Merriell was less annoying than usual, because he sat down by his side. He placed a delicate hand on his cheek and Merriell _purred_.

“You look _grey_ , Merriell.” he commented.

It took him a lot of work to open his eyes; even more energy to talk: “I'm dyin', Sledge.”

“What?” the boy frowned. “Why?”

“I need to feed.” He had been starving himself even since Sledge captured him. It's been almost two weeks since then. But he promised him that he would be good. It was the only reason why Sledge untied his hands after making him understand he was his _hostage_.

“Oh...” he mumbled and Merriell felt miserable. “Mhmm...” He wanted to _cry_ because Sledge was still not offering his blood and he really really _really_ wanted a little sip of that cherry wine. “Would you get... warmer if I held you or...?” he asked, carefully.

Merriell whined and shook his head.

In any other situation he would have taken advantage. He would have made Sledge sit on his lap again and hug him until the boy would get flustered and curse him to Hell for not being respectable and decent enough. Now have him close made his fangs hurt and his whole body tremble.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Wake me up when we arrive.”

*** * ***

“Merriell.” a soft voice called. “Come on, son, wake up.” a gentle hand on his shoulder and the other one making sure he was well wrapped around that blanket that appeared on top of him while he had been sleeping.

He opened his eyes and saw blurry. He was going to die tonight and that's stupid. _See? You try to be good and it takes you straight to the grave!_ “Ack Ack...” he mumbled, beyond miserable.

“It's going to be okay.” he promised before he slipped an arm under his knees and the other one around his back, picking him up and taking him inside of his manor.

He could see Sledge that looked far more childish than ever, following Ack Ack quickly. Like both of them were nothing but kids and Merriell hurt himself while playing. Now they had to tell their parents about the terrible news and hope they will solve the problem for them. Merriell looked at him and he loved him _tremendously_. Even if he was the main reason why he starved.

Burgie and Jay were there, as always. Merriell chose to stay with Mamaw when Ack Ack offered him to move in with him after turning him. _Each vampire is different_ , Mamaw explained him, _some of them see the ones they turn as lovers, others as slaves and others as animals. I'd rather give you to someone who sees you as their son_. And that had been Ack Ack and his collection of dying boys that wanted to stay alive. His own children, in a way. The only ones he could have.

He was taken to his bedroom that had never been used before. It was far bigger and richer than anything he ever had in Louisiana. But Merriell loved his Mamaw far too much to leave her behind. _Well_. Unless the reason was a redheaded vampire hunter. Then he _had_ to leave. Anyway, the old mambo _knew_ where he was. She always knew where he was and she knew that he would always come back.

As Ack Ack laid him on the bed, Merriell wanted to die of shame, really. His _brothers_ were by the door, observing him: Burgie looked slightly concerned (it must be just him wanting to be a _mother_ ) and Jay was there to either entertain himself or then be able to gossip a little bit. Merriell looked around until he could see that Sledge was standing awkwardly by his bed. He whimpered and turned on his side, trying to reach him. Ack Ack stopped him, gently making him lay down on his back once again.

“Jay, go get Eddie.” Merriell let out a very displeased noise. “What? You don't want to see Eddie?” Ack Ack said, amused as he brushed the curls away from Merriell's forehead.

Yes, he wanted to see Eddie. Eddie had been nice from the very beginning and was the one that convinced Ack Ack that it would be wise for Merriell to stay with Madame Mercier. Eddie was also a human, and the only one that could offer him some of his blood. But... “It will be weird, he's _yours_.” Eddie had been Ack Ack's for ten years, now. Why Ack Ack wouldn't turn him when Eddie only wanted to spend the eternity with them as a family it was beyond him. At first Ack Ack said that Eddie was too young. Now he was past his mid thirties and Merriell truly didn't know what was he waiting for.

When Ack Ack turned and nodded at Jay, he left to find Eddie. Merriell huffed. “Calm down, he should know you just go there.” then he looked at Burgie and raised his eyebrows. The younger vampire looked down and shrugged a little bit. “What about Florence?” he suggested.

“Burgie's!” Merriell said right away. It would be far easier if every single human around wasn't in some sort of romantic relationship with members of his _family_. “I just want Eugene. I want some of Eugene.” and as he said so, the hungry beast inside of him, as pitiful as it was, forced him to try to reach out for Sledge once again.

Ack Ack did the same as before, stopping him right away. “Your name is Eugene?” he asked.

“Eugene Sledge.” he nodded, quickly, playing nervously with his hands.

“You've ever let a vampire drink your blood?” he spoke while he still handled Merriell pretty easily, who was weak and tired but also starving.

“I'm a vampire hunter...” Sledge replied like that was enough of an answer: _Of course not_.

And Ack Ack didn't look intimidated or even wary of him. He just chuckled and looked down at the dog laying between Sledge's feet and then up at him: “Yeah, you killed many?”

“Not _yet_.”

Ack Ack focused on Merriell once again who was trying to fight him. “That's enough, Merriell.” he ordered him and the younger vampire laid down once again, heavy and tired.

“I'm very hungry, Ack Ack, please?”

“I don't think he shou—”

“I'm a grown man! I'm strong!” Sledge quickly interrupted them. “I can survive giving just... a couple of drops of blood.”

Ack Ack seemed to be terribly amused once again and Sledge got very frustrated. He even sulked, crossing his arms. By the time Eddie arrived, it was clear that whatever that was going to happen, might need adult supervision.

“Christ, Merriell, you look awful.” the man said as he approached the bed, placing a hand over Merriell's forehead. It was a natural instinct to undo the buttons of his sleeve to discover his wrist. Ack Ack stopped his partner by holding his wrist and brushing his thumb over his veins.

“Eugene, here, wants to do it. He is a _strong grown man_.”

Eddie turned around and found a rather scrawny young boy that raised his chin, trying to look intimidating. Deacon yawned, far from feral. “Of course, _silly me_.” he stepped forward and placed his hand over Sledge's shoulder, inviting him to get closer. “Boys.” he looked at the other two that were still standing close to the door. “ _Privacy_.”

Jay looked like he was about to complain but Burgie nodded. When he closed the door, Sledge felt a little bit better. Far less exposed. Eddie pressed his thumb against his shoulder and he sat down, blinking a little bit. The man continued rolling his left sleeve up. Merriell tried once again to jump on him. Ack Ack wrapped an arm around his collarbones to keep him away and Sledge almost got off the bed once again.

“Don't be scared.” said Eddie. “He's just hungry, not dangerous.”

“When a vampire is hungry is dangerous.” Sledge sulked.

“You said you wanted to do this, didn't you?” he looked at him and Sledge nodded a bit. “Okay, pay attention to me, then.”

Turns out there were plenty of things to keep in mind. The position of the fangs ( _if you don't do it like this, he will rip your wrist and you'll bleed to death_ ), the dose ( _not too much and each two hours until he regains warmth_ ) and what to do if Merriell loses control ( _scream and we'll come_ ). Now, he had to let Merriell get closer to him: smell him. Breathe him in. So Ack Ack released the young vampire and he began to move closer to Sledge. The human blushed a little bit as he hugged his waist and rested his head on his lap, rubbing his cheek against his thigh.

“Do you want us to stay?” Ack Ack offered as he stood up.

“ _No_.” Merriell whined once again, mortified.

Both of them looked at Sledge who blushed even more, making his blood warmer. “I'll be fine.”

Ack Ack nodded, having enough with that. Eddie wrapped his arm around the older vampire's before he looked a Merriell: “ _Behave_. Or we will tell your Mamaw.”

That seemed to work because Merriell was nodding very fast over Sledge's lap.

And just like that, they were alone.

Merriell's big eyes were on Sledge's face. Sledge who was slowly becoming _Eugene_. You weren't about to drink someone's blood and still call or think about them by their surname. His lovely Eugene who got himself in this mess because he wanted to look brave and tough.

“Uh...” Eugene whispered as he brought his naked wrist closer to his face. “Here.”

Merriell cupped the back of his hand and pressed a kiss against his pulsing veins. Eugene sighed a little bit and Merriell could smell it already. So sweet. _Terribly sweet_. His mouth watered and his fangs grew. The vampire was very mindful when he dug his teeth in him. Eugene winced but did not look away, scared that he might hurt him as Eddie warned him it could happen.

His fangs were inside of Eugene. _He_ was inside of Eugene and that made him _deliriously happy_. But he pulled them out carefully and the boy complained a little bit more. “'M sorry, Genie.” he whispered sweetly against his flesh before he started to suck. Eugene was about to _die_. Of how embarrassed he felt by the nickname and the whole situation that unfolded in just a couple of minutes.

Merriell was a messy eater. _Of course! He doesnt have manners at all!_ His lips were slippery and he looked absolutely ravenous. The noises echoed all over the room and that only made Eugene more ashamed of the situation. It hurt a little bit, but nothing he couldn't bear. The shame was the one that made his stomach feel tight. His other hand helped him to hide his scarlet cheeks, unable to look at him. Merriell's mouth was already covered with his blood and his own saliva.

But Eddie warned him: not too much. So when he felt like he had enough, he took a deep breath and called his name: “Merriell.” The vampire moaned and latched on his wounds. “Be good!” he said a little nervous, getting perhaps a bit too much into this.

That seemed to work. Merriell leaned back, pouting. “Still hungry, Gene.”

“You heard Eddie: _behave_.” Eugene scolded bim, just because he was far too embarrassed of how he felt.

“Let me heal you.” he leaned once again and Eugene had to let him. He really didn't want two holes on his wrist. He furrowed his nose and looked away. Merriell was still very cold. Colder than any human would be, but not as frozen as he was in the carriage. It was a little weird to feel him constantly messing with his wounds with his cold and slimy tongue.

*** * ***

Merriell was not going to let him go no matter what. He took little sips from Eugene's wrist each two hours and then he continued to sleep. It soothed him to feel Eugene's beating heart right under his cheek. He tasted so sweet. Rich. Merriell had been right to be charmed by him in first place. He got to bit a few but none of them could ever be compared to Eugene. Eugene who blushed the whole time and grumbled when Merriell looked absolutely smitten. He liked him _so_ much.

Now he was trying to get his other wrist, but Eugene denied. “You already feel warm.”

He pouted decided to be good once again. Or as good as Merriell could be. He buried his face on Eugene's neck as he squirmed under him. Even if he had his hands on the vampire's arms, he didn't push him away. He just looked up at the ceiling, like waiting for him to do or say something that would force him to mark another limit. He enjoyed being close to him. Eugene decided it was due the fact he just gave him his blood, nothing else.

“Next time...” Merriell began, his legs tangling around Eugene's. “you could let me bite your neck or your thighs...”

And there it was. _The new limit_. Eugene shoved Merriell off him as he laughed, like the idiot that he was. Eugene curled his nose and jumped off the bed.

“Where are you goin'?” Merriell was still smiling and laying down when Eugene walked towards the door.

“I'm going to ask Ack Ack to let you go and then we are leaving to save Sid!” he warned right before he slammed the door shut.

Merriell hummed and smiled, with the taste of the boy still all over his mouth. He played with one of his curls and considered that it was not so bad to also have to follow Eugene's commands. It was always a little bit funnier when they boss you around. It's better to watch them melt when they play hard to get.

**Author's Note:**

> persipneiwrites.tumblr.com <\-- I'm there. Posting more garbage. ;)


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